Biology

• VegSpec
  VegSpec is a web-based decision support system that assists land managers in the planning and design of vegetative establishment practices. VegSpec utilizes soil, plant, and climate data to select plant species that are (1) site-specifically adapted, (2) suitable for the selected practice, and (3) appropriate for the purposes and objectives for which the planting is intended.
• Conservation Programs
• PLANTS Database
• Plant Materials Program
• Biology Technical Notes
• Invasive Species Council
• Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force
• Wildlife and Wetlands Maps and Analysis
• Wildlife Habitat
• Wetlands
• Wetlands Conservation Compliance
• Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices
• Aquatic Ecology Links
• National Resources Inventory (NRI)
  NRCS is exclusive in completing the NRI on a continual basis to monitor the trends and conditions of the soil, water, and natural resources on private lands throughout the states. Based on this critical information, decision makers and planners can set program priorities and target efforts where the needs are greatest.

These documents require Adobe Acrobat.

NRCS Biologists Directory (425 KB)

National Biology Handbook -Draft- (13.1 MB)

National Biology Manual (3.8 MB)

Memorandum of Understanding between NRCS and National Wild Turkey Federation (117 KB)

Memorandum of Understanding between NRCS and Pheasants Forever (183 KB)

Biodiversity: Connecting with the Tapestry of Life, prepared with the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. (1.7 MB) 

National Conservation Buffer Initiative (93 KB)
        — Question and answer sheet concerning the NRCS Conservation Buffer Initiative 

Wetlands Reserve Program (116 KB)
        — Fact sheet discussing one of the conservation provisions of the 1996 Farm Bill. The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program to restore and protect wetlands on private property
 

Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (301 KB)
        — A method to evaluate the ecological condition of a stream useable by field conservationists and landowners
 

Technical Note No. 190-13-1: "Using a Regional Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to Characterize the Condition of Northern Virginia Streams, With Emphasis on the Occoquan Watershed:  A Case Study" (6 MB)

— This reference material is a case study example of the application of IBI for a small watershed. The IBI assesses watershed condition by using fish assemblages as biological indicators of human disturbance. It describes the steps involved in developing an IBI and refinement of the technique to fit the needs of small watershed projects, typical of those receiving NRCS assistance. In addition, it describes how the IBI may be used to evaluate the combined effects of conservation.  

Version 1 of the Rivers and Streams, and Floodplain Restoration Annotated Bibliography (317 KB)  

Memorandum of Understanding between NRCS and Trout Unlimited (312 KB)